Scientists have just released the first photos of the incredible <a href="http://inhabitat.com/ancient-298-million-year-old-forest-found-beneath-coal-mine-in-china/" target="_blank">298 million year old buried forest</a> that was recently found below a coal mine in Yuda, China. The extensive array of tree and plant fossils that were photographed were found still arranged in a forest landscape - a first for fossil discovery. The entire forest was covered by fallen ash, which erupted from an<a href="http://inhabitat.com/scientists-pour-water-into-oregon-volcano-to-generate-energy/" target="_blank"> ancient volcano</a>, preserving it for eternity.

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Ancient Forest

Had it not been for the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/brand-new-smoking-island-rises-out-of-the-red-sea/" target="_blank">volcanic eruption</a>, the Permian Era forest and trees would’ve been transformed into coal over the millions of years that have passed since it thrived on the super continent of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangaea" target="_blank">Pangea</a>.

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Ancient Forest

The vegetation and animal species that grew over the layer of volcanic ash have compressed to form the coal mine that lies above the discovered site.

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Ancient Forest

The fossil forest is located in Inner <a href="http://inhabitat.com/worlds-largest-chunk-of-manmade-ice-to-cool-mongolias-capital-city/" target="_blank">Mongolia</a>, in the northern region of the Helanshan Mountains.

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Ancient Forest

The area preserved by the volcanic ash is suspected to be a staggering 6.2 miles in length - almost the full length of the coal mine, which is 7.72 square miles in area.

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Ancient Forest

Thus far, the scientists have explored only 10,763 square feet of the ashen<a href="http://inhabitat.com/andy-goldsworthys-wood-line-installation-made-from-fallen-trees-snakes-through-the-presidio/" target="_blank"> fossil forest</a>, uncovering a multitude of leaf, tree, and plant fossils, some of which still bearing a greenish hue.

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Ancient Forest

An array of ferns have been found in addition to extinct trees with leaves still attached to the stem, and branches leading down to their trunks.

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Ancient Forest

The <a href="http://inhabitat.com/colossal-green-volcano-rises-in-italy/" target="_blank">volcanic</a> fossils give an accurate indication of where each plant grew in relation to the others in the forest.

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Ancient Forest

Scientists were lead by <a href="http://www.upenn.edu/" target="_blank">University of Pennsylvania</a>’s Hermann Pfefferkorn.

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Ancient Forest

The team will continue to explore and document this “Permian vegetational Pompeii.”

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Ancient Forest

They will continue to catalog this nearly 300 million year time capsule as they go on.

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Ancient-Ancient Forest

Scientists have just released the first photos of the incredible 298 million year old buried forest that was recently found below a coal mine in Yuda, China. The extensive array of tree and plant fossils that were photographed were found still arranged in a forest landscape - a first for fossil discovery. The entire forest was covered by fallen ash, which erupted from an ancient volcano, preserving it for eternity.